How To Find An Alaska Fishing Guide

The time's finally come to head off to Alaska to fish and partake of some truly vast and beautiful scenery and outdoor sport activities. And there are regions in the state, like the Kenai Peninsula (for one) where the fishing can be amazing. In this regards, taking the time to learn about hiring on an Alaska fishing guide to help make the experience more pleasant may be a good thing to do.

What, then, are the things to keep in mind in looking for someone to guide a person or a whole fishing party around a state like Alaska and Kenai or any other part of the state? Well, keep in mind that just about anybody who wants to can hang out a sign and proclaim himself a guide. There are no state licensing requirements to do so, although all the best guides adhere to certain practices and principles, and will possess certain credentials.

While it might be assumed that anybody involved in the guide business in Alaska would have certain types of insurance as a minimum, some do not. Again, the guide business has many people who do it as a sideline, in between working as a fisherman on a salmon boat and the like, so check. And, because of how far away a fishing spot may be from medical assistance, it's a good idea that the guide have first aid and CPR training, and a decent first aid kit.

Since guides themselves aren't going to be doing the fishing, they're not required to have any of the several kinds of licenses to fish somebody might need, depending on the type of fishing being done. But all the good guides take the time to stay licensed, and it could be a good indicator of the guide's seriousness about his profession.

The kind of guide needed will also depend on the type of fishing to be done. There are many guides who don't specialize in any one area or region in the state, but there are many who do take the time to learn the region in which they operate. Try to find out how long the guide has been in business and what areas he knows best. If time is taken to investigate a little, hiring an Alaska fishing guide will be a relatively simple matter.